Rivetless concrete wall form panel with plywood facing and metal studding



Aprll 19, 1966 BQWDEN 3,246,871

RIVETLESS CONCRETE WALL FORM PANEL WITH PLYWOOD FACING AND METAL STUDDING Filed April 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 19, 1966 G. F. BOWDEN 3,246,871

RIVETLESS CONCRETE WALL FORM PANEL WITH PLYWOOD Filed April 6, 1964 FACING AND METAL STUDDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 in the form of steel or magnesium alloy studding.

United States Patent RIVETLESS CONQRETE WALL FORM PANEL WITH PLYWOOD FACING AND METAL STUDDING George F. Bowden, Des Plaines, Ill., assignorto Symons Mfg. Company, Des Plaines, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 357,504 2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 249189) The present invention relates generally to concrete wall for-m panels and has particular reference to a prefabricated rectangular panel which consists of a plywood facing and a reinforcing frame in the form of metallic studding and is adapted to be arranged in an upstanding position and also in edge-to edge relation with similar prefabricated panels and to form with such similar panels one side of a wall form into which wet concrete may be poured for wall-forming purposes. There has long been on the market a class of reusable prefabricated concrete wall form panels which are manufactured by Symons Mfg. Company of Des Plaines, Illinois and are known commercially as Steel-Ply or Mag-Ply panels, depending upon whether the metallic studding is formed of steel or a magnesium alloy. Such Steel-Ply or Mag-Ply panels are prefabricated in that they are assembled at the factory rather than in the field, and, as previously set forth, consist of plywood facings and marginal reinforcing frames The vertical and horizontal members of the marginal reinforcing frames are in the form of channel stock lengths which are rolled to' special shape and then perforated, notched, grooved and otherwise fashioned in order properly to receive in the edges of the plywood facings in the front marginal portions thereof, as well as to facilitate the use of suitable fastening devices or other concrete wall form hardware whereby adjacent and also opposed panels may be fastened together in rigid relation. Such panels also include crossbars which are formed of angle stock, extend between the opposed vartical frame members, and reinforce the medial regions of the panels. It. is to this type of Steel-Ply or Mag-Ply panel that the present invention specifically relates.

Heretofore, in the manufacture of a Steel-Ply and -Mag-Ply panel, it has invariably been the practice to secure the plywood facing to the vertical and horizontal members and also the crossbars of the marginal reinforcing frame by the use of rivets, certain of the heads of .which are tapered and seat within correspondingly tapered countersinks in the front or inner face of the plywood facing. These rivets constitute the sole fastening means for the plywood facing and serve to maintain the edges of the facings seated within the rectilinear grooves which are provided for them in the front marginal por tions of the vertical and horizontal members of the reinforcing frame.

Where a new panel is concerned, the rivets are, in all instances, tight and the exposed end surfaces of the tapered heads thereof lie flush with the front or inner face of the plywood facing so that no evidence of the tapered rivet heads is left in the adjacent finished concrete wall surface when the poured concrete has become set and the panel subsequently'removed. However, after a period of use wherein a panel has been employed in .many-diiferent concrete Wall form installations and has 3,246,871 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 ICC , been subjected to rough handling during shipment from one installation to another, the rivets often become loose. What is even more important is the fact that when a given'panel has been subjected to moisture as well as extreme temperature differentials, the plywood facing thereof will tend to swell and increase its thickness, while at the same time, it will bulge outwardly away from the marginal reinforcing frame. In such an instance, the originallyfius'h rivet heads will be pulled into the plywood and assume positions well within the lateral confines of the facing, thus establishing small sockets in front or inner face of the plywood facing. These sockets have their counterparts in the form of unsightly external protuberances on the adjacent surface of the finished concrete wall after the panel has been stripped from the wall.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above noted limitations that are attendant upon the construction and use of a conventional Steel-Ply or Mag- Ply concrete wall form panel and, toward this endpthe invention contemplates the provision of a novel rivetless panel which preserves substantially all of the attributes of a Steel-Ply or Mag-Ply panel, but in which the front or inner face of the plywood facing presents a continuous smooth uninterrupted wall-forming surface com pletely across the marginal reinforcing frame from sideto-side and from top to bottom, the plywood facing being devoid of rivets or other fastening devices and the front or inner wall-forming face of the facing consequently being devoid of any metal expanses.

The provision of a rivetless concrete wall form panel having a plywood facing and a marginal reinforcing frame in the form of metallic studding as briefly outlined above being the principal object of the invention, nu-

merous other objects and advantages will readily suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been shown.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary exploded rear perspective view of a concrete wall form panel constructed according to the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontalsectional view taken substantially along the horizontal plane indicated by the line 2- 2 of FIG. 1 and in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the vertical plane indicated by the line 33 of 'FIG. 1 and in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of one of the upper corners of the concrete wall form panel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the vertical plane indicated by the line 55 of FIG. 1 and in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view'taken on the line 66 of FIG. 4.

The improved concrete wall form panel is illustrated in detail in the drawings and consists of a rectangular plywood facing 14 and a rectangular marginal frame 16 which surrounds the facing, reinforces the marginal regions thereof, and is in the form of'metallic studding.

The marginal reinforcing frame 16 comprises upper and lower horizontal members 18 and 19 and a pair of oppositely disposed vertical frame members 20. The lower ends of the vertical members 20 of the marginal reinforcing frame 16 are welded to the ends of the lower horizontal frame member 19. Intermediate horizontal crossbars 22 in the form of angle bars extend across the rear or outer face of the plywood facing 14 and have their ends secured by welding to the opposed faces of the two vertical frame members 20. The frame members 18, 19 and 20 are of shallow channel shape in cross section and each member includes inside and outside outwardly extending ribs 24 and 26, and a connecting web portion 28 between the ribs. Each frame member also includes an inwardly extending lateral or right-angle flange 31) which is spaced a slight distance away from the inside edge 34 of the members and affords or defines a recess 32. The edges of the plywood facing 14 seat within the recesses 32 and the front or inner face of the facing is flush with the inside edge 34 of the frame members. Clearance notches 42 are provided in the outwardly extending ribs 24 and 26 for passage therethrough of the ends of combined tie and spreader devices (not shown). Horizontal slots 44 are provided in the web portions 28 of the frame members for the reception therein of fastening bolts (also not shown) which'serve to draw adjacent panels together and also to anchor the ends of the aforementioned combined tie and spreader devices. For a full disclosure of a concrete wall form panel which is secured inposition in 'a concrete wall form installation by means of conventional combined tie and spreader devices as well as fastening bolts, reference may be had to United States Patent No. 2,948,045, granted on Aug. 9, 1960 and entitled Tie Rod Assembly for Concrete Wall-Forms and Cone Therefor. While it is possible to make the marginal reinforcing frame 16 of the improved concrete wall form panel of steel, the various frame members hereof are not readily susceptible to the usual rolling mill operations that are employed in manufacturing conventional Steel-Ply panels due to the requirement for certain hereinafter described sharp or feathered edges that are not readily produced in steel by rolling mill ma chinery. The frame members 18, 19 and 20 of the frame 16 are, therefore, preferably formed of a magnesium or other suitable lightweight alloy which is susceptible to the necessary forming operations.

The improved concrete wall formpanel does not employ rivets for securing the plywood facing 14 in position within the front marginal recess 32 in the various members of the frame 16. Instead, the recesses them selves are so shaped as securely to retain the facing within them, as will be described in greater detail presently.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the recesses 32, instead of being in the form of right angle recesses, are in the form of a continuous rabbeted confining groove for the four edges of the plywood facing 14. The inwardly extending lateral flanges 3t define one side or wall of the groove, while the other side or wall of the groove is defined by integral inwardly relatively sharp retaining lips 33 on the web portions 28 of the various frame members. The lips lie in the same plane as the inside ribs 24 and have their frontwardly facing side surfaces extending at right angles to the web portions 28 and also flush with and forming continuations of the inside edges 34 of the-frame members. The rearwardly facing side surfaces of the lips 33 extend outwardly and rearwardly at an angle of approximately 45 with respect to the Web portions 28. The forwardly facing side surfaces of the lateral flanges 30, that is, the side surfaces that face the angularly disposed rearwardly facing side surfaces of the lips 33 extend outwardly and forwardly at an angle of approximately 45 with respect to the web portions 28. As the result of the particular angularity of the rearwardly facing side surfaces of the lips 33 and the forwardly facing side surfaces of the lateral flanges 30, the

aforementioned continuous groove which is formed by the recesses 32 is outwardly tapered. The edge regions of the plywood facing 14 are bevelled on both sides in such manner that they are shaped conformably to and fit snugly within the continuous outwardly tapered groove that is formed by the recesses 32.

The lower horizontal frame member 19 and the two vertical frame members 20 of the marginal reinforcing frame 16 have their adjacent ends welded together as hereinbefore pointed out. The ends of the upper frame member 18 of the frame are removably secured to the vertical frame members 20 by means of a pair of angle pieces 46 which embody horizontally extending legs 43 and depending vertically extending legs 50. The horizontally extending legs 48 fit against and are welded to the end portions of the bottom surface of the web portions 28 of the upper'frame member 18, and the legs 50 are secured to the upper ends of the frame members 20 by fastening bolt and nut assemblies 52. The mating ends of the members 18 and 20 are bevelled as indicated at 54 for proper fit.

In assembling the constituent parts of the present concrete wall form panel, the plywood facing 14 is slid endwise and downwards into the opposed sides of the aforementioned outwardly tapered groove before the upper frame member is installed in the marginal reinforcing frame 16. The final step in the assembly process is the securing of the upper frame member 18 in position by means of the bolt and nut assemblies 52.

Since the panel is devoid of rivets or other-fastening devices, there are no rivet heads'which can pull into the plywood facing and establish pockets or indentations in the panel facing in the event that bulging of the panel facing takes place due to moisture assimilation by the plywood of the facing 14. The fact that the facing'may bulge forwardly away from the crossbars 22 presents no problem inasmuch as the outward thrust of the wet concrete at the time of concrete-pouring operations quickly restores the plywood facing to its normal planar condition and forces the same to its normal position against the crossbars.

An incidental and advantageous feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the removability of the upper horizontal frame member 18 facilitatesfacing replacement when necessary. Whereas, in connection with a conventional Steel-Ply panel, it is'necessary to resort to difficult rivet shearing or grinding operations, the plywood facing 14 of the present concrete wall form panel may readily be slid from its position within the recesses 32 after the upper frame member has been removed. A new plywood facing may then be slid into position and the upper frame member'18 reapplied to maintain the facing in the panel assembly.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing or described in this specification as various changes in the details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rivctless concrete wall form panel comprising a rectangular plywood facing surrounded by studding in the form of a rectangular metal frame including a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinal frame members and a pair of oppositely disposed transverse frame members, the front wall-forming side of said facing and the outer rim of said frame lying in a common plane, the frame members of each pair being'formed with opposed internal trough-like grooves having inwardly divergent sloping side wall faces and within which grooves one pair of oppositely facing edges of the facing seats with the edges substantially filling the grooves, one of said transverse frame members being removable from the frame to permit the facing to be slid endwise into and along the opposed grooves provided in the adjacent opposed longitudinal frame members for installation and removal purposes, the opposite ends of said one transverse frame member and the mating ends of the adjacent longitudinal frame members being bevelled in a complementary manner for interfitting purposes, each trough-like groove being provided with an outer side Wall which tapers to a feather edge, the edges of each pair of oppositely facing edges being bevelled on a bias complementary to the adjacent sloping side Wall faces with the bevelled portions fitting snugly against such side wall faces, and means for removably securing said one transverse frame member in position in the frame, said grooves constituting the sole means for removably securing said facing in position in the frame, said plywood facing being imperforate and the front wall-forming side thereof being devoid of countersink or other socket-like interruptions.

2. A concrete Wall form panel as set forth in claim 1 and wherein said securing means comprises an angle bracket disposed at each end region of said one transverse frame member and having one leg thereof Welded to said one transverse frame member and its other leg bolted to the adjacent longitudinal frame'member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,277,319 8/1918 Joice 2015 1,960,769 5/1934 Beiger 2015 2,260,484 10/1941 Rumsey 2036 2,607,087 8/1952 Triller 2015 2,664,596 1/1954 Greig 20-l5 2,833,003 5/1958 Bourne et al. 20-l5 2,997,769 8/1961 Bowden -131 3,137,909 6/1964 Bonin et al 25131 I. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

MICHAEL V. BRINDISI, WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON,

Examiners. 

1. A RIVETLESS CONCRETE WALL FORM PANEL COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR PLYWOOD FACING SURROUNDED BY STUDDING IN THE FORM OF A RECTANGULAR METAL FRAME INCLUDING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBERS AND A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED TRANSVERSE FRAME MEMBERS, THE FRONT WALL-FORMING SIDE OF SAID FACING AND THE OUTER RIM OF SAID FRAME LYING IN A COMMON PLANE, THE FRAME MEMBERS OF EACH PAIR BEING FORMED WITH OPPOSED INTERNAL TROUGH-LIKE GROOVES HAVING INWARDLY DIVERGENT SLOPING SIDE WALL FACES AND WITHIN WHICH GROOVES ONE PAIR OF OPPOSITELY FACING EDGES OF THE FACING SEATS WITH THE EDGES SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING THE GROOVES, ONE OF SAID TRANSVERSE FRAME MEMBERS BEING REMOVABLE FROM THE FRAME TO PERMIT THE FACING TO BE SLID ENDWISE INTO AND ALONG THE OPPOSED GROOVES PROVIDED IN THE ADJACENT OPPOSED LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBERS FOR INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL PURPOSES, THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID ONE TRANSVERSE FRAME MEMBER AND THE MATING ENDS OF THE ADJACENT LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBERS BEING BEVELLED IN A COMPLEMENTARY MANNER FOR INTERFITTING PURPOSES, EACH TROUGH-LIKE GROOVE BEING PROVIDED WITH AN OUTER SIDE WALL WHICH TAPERS TO A FEATHER EDGE, THE EDGES OF EACH PAIR OF OPPOSITELY FACING EDGES BEING BEVELLED ON A BIAS COMPLEMENTARY TO THE ADJACENT SLOPING SIDE WALL FACES WITH THE BEVELLED PORTIONS FITTING SNUGLY AGAINST SUCH SIDE WALL FACES, AND MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID ONE TRANSVERSE FRAME MEMBER IN POSITION IN THE FRAME, SAID GROOVES CONSTITUTING THE SOLE MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID FACING IN POSITION IN THE FRAME, SAID PLYWOOD FACING BEING IMPERFORATE AND THE FRONT WALL-FORMING SIDE THEREOF BEING DEVOID OF COUNTERSINK OR OTHER SOCKET-LIKE INTERRUPTIONS. 